Rumor: American TV Network to Produce Battle Royale Series

[Saucycarpdog]

I can see some CW executive pitching ideas for the story right now.

"Ok we need a teenage girl. One that's pretty but not too pretty, one that other girls can relate to. Now she wakes up in her homeroom with the exploding collar on . . . yeah you're right it can't explode, it will just poison them. No, not like cobra poison,the kind of poison that makes them just fall down. Yeah that's perfect Johnny, it's an overdose of tranquilizers!"

"Anyway she wakes up and looks around. First she looks around the class and then out the window. Across the way she sees another classroom full of passed-out students. No they aren't from her school. So she sees someone awake in the other room. He's tall, dressed in black and has long black hair. Well the werewolf Indian guy from Twilight had long hair. Have an intern go through the recent teen magazines and count the different hair styles. No don't count Beiber. Forget his hair for now, just know that he's dark and broody. He looks over and sees her; He looks in her eyes for only a second before looking away. And in that second she knows that they could either love each other or kill each other. No she can't internal monolog that, we don't want to get SUED by the Twilight people."

"Now someone else wakes up in her class and starts talking to her. It's the Quarterback of the Football team. Soccer? Ok then we'll make him whatever is important on a Soccer team. He's talented, popular and smart. He has never said anything to her. Secret crush? Him for her or her for him? Both? What a bold idea, I like the way you think Johnny!"

"Well first he will get her attention and then he'll will say,'You know what this is, right? This is . . .' AND THEN WE WILL FLASH TO THE TITLE CARD! BATTLE ROYALE! The words will be dripping with blood. No I'm sure we can use blood there. But that will probably be it for the blood."

I'm gonna stop doing this now because I'm actually getting annoyed by what I'm writing and at the same time I'm terrified that I'm able to write it.

"Oh, and make sure she looks strong so we can say we potray strong women in our movies. What? Of course she isn't strong enough to choose which guy she likes. Then we wouldn't have a love triangle."

"Oh, and teens don't like violence. So let's just shake the camera when there is violence."

Sorry. I couldn't resist adding to your story.

 

[Artemicion]

I watched Battle Royale a week or two ago. It was guddamn awful. Perhaps a series based on the novel would be better.

 

[Scars Unseen]

I watched Battle Royale a week or two ago. It was guddamn awful. Perhaps a series based on the novel would be better.

The manga would be a better source. It has more character development than the novel, but otherwise retains the same feel, unlike the movie.

 

[scw55]

I don't think they could keep up the pace (of the movie) if the story is in 1hr long episode no-doubtingly stretched out like all American Series. Would work with the British format of 8 at most (13 at a stretch) as deaths would be quite frequent.

I don't want Torchwood syndrome happening with when it went 50% American and had some episodes of interest happening but a lot of episodes where nothing really happened.

I guess if it does come to pass and takes the American season format, I'll just wait in till it comes out on box set (to watch online) in one great marathon without the inconvenience of a week's time coming in the middle of it.

 

[Mortuorum]

Here's a better idea. Watch the original.

Although imagine if they kept the principle but just used the cast of Glee...

That thought will make me happy for the rest of the day, at least.

And yeah. Watch the original if you haven't. It's available on NetFlix (DVD-only, sorry) and the Complete Collection Blu-Ray is available on Amazon for about 30 bucks: http://amzn.com/B006L4MX4A

 

[antipunt]

This thread made me restudy Battle Royale, and damn it's the typical Japanese tormented youngster nightmare <_<

Something about this 'dark' psychological-genre really appeals to me. Am I a masochist?

 

[Xiviriel Satori]

I think a Tv series of Battle Royale is a great idea, as long as it is based off of the novel and NOT the manga or movie.

I didn't mind the movie, it kept true to the novel where it counted but, it did lack in character development (they'd have more time for that in a tv series) and ridiculously butchered the ending with weird silliness (although that seems to be the norm for Japanese films...)

As for the manga, I HATED it. I could not stand the way the characters were drawn, some looked like they were 6 years old, others like they were 30, no one looked 15. Not to mention the over the top martial arts and weird looking bullet holes in peoples' faces. Plus they ruined Souma's character, she was perfect in the novel. But for some reason in the manga she is just a crazy rapist. Thats another things that ruined the manga, wayyyy too many pictures of 15 year old girls rubbing their wet panties...

A tv series could provide realistic visuals for the intense fighting scenes, wouldn't be allowed to have so many unnecessary pantie shots, have enough time for character development, and encompass all the ideas that were included in the novel.

Even if the series is made and turns out horribly, its not like it will make the novel worse. It will always be a relic of perfect literature.